May It Be
by mistressofburden
Summary: COMPLETE: Yes, I have read the book, but I've decided to base it on the Movie. Sara is a young blind girl brought to the opera house the same time as Christine Daae. She too sees the Phantom as an angel, but a guardian angel.
1. Chapter 01

Authors Note: All the characters and the events, with the exception of Sara and anything new and original, are the property of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gaston Leroux.

* * *

The mist parted and three figures could be seen walking through it. A woman held the hands of two young girls. The youngest was a seven year old, with curly brown hair. She was the only child of Gustave Daae, a famous violinist that was well known all over Europe. 

Gustave had met Mme. Giry, the head of the ballet school and dormitories of the Paris Opera House, years earlier. When he and his wife had first learned that they were to become parents, they had many long discussions on what to name their child. Five months into the pregnancy they decided on Christine or Christopher, after Gustave's great grandmother. From there on out the discussions turned to what their child would do with her life. Gustave wanted his child to do something practical while his wife wanted her child to be in the ballet, like she had been as a child.

Christine finally arrived, on time and healthy, but due to complications at birth, Gustave was left to raise his daughter alone. At first Gustave did not even wish to imagine his daughter growing up and becoming an adult, let alone sending his daughter to live and train in the ballet.

He even went as far to hope that maybe Christine would never be able to learn to dance. Those hopes were quickly dashed when she began to dance along to his violin and she quickly showed great promise.

When Christine turned five, she and her father traveled to Paris to meet with Mme. Giry. Gustave and Mme. Giry quickly agreed on Christine's talent and made arrangements for the young girl to begin her training at the age of ten. However, the process was sped up when Gustave fell ill, two years later.

He sent a letter to Mme. Giry, requesting her presence so that Christine would have a mother figure to lean on in her time of need. Mme. Giry was quick to respond and travelled with her own daughter to be by Christine's side at her father's deathbed. While with Christine, Mme. Giry received a letter from the owner of the opera house.

"Dear Madame,

I hope all goes well with you and your precious daughter and I eagerly await the appearance of the Daae child. However, I must ask you one more favour.

Recently my only sister and her husband were killed in a rather large fire. The only survivor was their youngest child, my niece, Sara. As my brother in law has no living relatives, care of the child has fallen upon myself and my wife.

If you could be so kind as to collect her from the Paris Orphanage before returning to the Opera house, my wife and I would be forever grateful. Please note that the poor child is now blind, as the flame did some irreversible damage to her eyes.

Merci and best wishes."

Within a matter of weeks, Gustave was laid to rest and Mme. Giry returned to Paris. Meg Giry had been retrieved days earlier by one of the workers in the opera house so that Mme. Giry could give her full attention to the two girls that she was now in charge of. She and Christine stopped at the orphanage to collect Sara before the three of them left for the children's new home.

Mme. Giry led them both into the now dark and silent Opera house. She walked up the large marble staircase and down a hallway to the left. She slowed her pace and eventually stopped, before turning to Sara.

"I want you to stand right here and do not move." She told the young girl. "I must take Christine to the Ballet dormitories, but your uncle should be here in moments."

She turned and led Christine away, leaving Sara alone in the brightly lit hallway. Sara listened as the gentle taps of Mme. Giry's cane faded and strained to hear something that could comfort her and take away her anxiety. She stood still for several minutes listening only to the sound of her own breathing, echoing off the walls that she could not see.

She knew that she was standing in a lighted area; she could hear the crackle of flame as breeze touched it, and could smell laps burning all around her. She shifted uneasily; feeling like someone else was in the hallway with her. She could hear the subtle sounds of fabric rustling, but didn't know if it was a person, or curtains somewhere near her. Her pulse and breathing quickened when all around her she could smell lamps and candles being extinguished, wondering if someone was playing a cruel joke on her, like the boys in the orphanage used to.

This time, she not only heard the sound of fabric, but also the soft sound of someone walking towards her. She dared not move, in case whoever it was could not see her in the darkness. But, as the footsteps drew closer to her, she began to panic and spun around, wishing that she could see. Now, as she listened, it sounded like the footsteps were to her right, and she turned to face that direction. She was soon disoriented, because she was constantly turning, trying to figure out the origins of the footsteps.

She cried out softly when two hands grasped her shoulders and very slowly turned her in the opposite direction that she had been facing. "Your uncle is coming." A soft male voice sounded in her ear.

Sara's eyes slowly closed and she found herself oddly relaxed and soothed by this mans presence. His hands left her shoulders and she heard the swoop of a cape, but could hear nothing else of the man's departure.

"Curse this hallway. The lamps are always going out." She could hear her Uncle say in the distance. "Find some men, and get these lamps relit."

Sara shifted nervously as the sounds of her uncle and his companions grew closer. "Monsieur, your niece is waiting for you at the end of the hallway, near your office." She recognized Mme. Giry's French accent. "And Christine Daae is in the dormitories."

"Thank you Madame." Her uncle said. "Ah, there you are! Come, come child let's get you inside the office."

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Sara knew that it was her uncle, and was slightly disturbed at the fact that it brought no comfort like the other man's had. She allowed him to guide her to a chair, which she great fully sat down in, folding her hands in her lap.

"Uncle," Sara said softly, "Who was the man with me in the hallway?"

Sara could not see the surprised glance between her uncle and Mme. Giry. "It was probably one of the stage hands." Mme. Giry said, to both Sara and her uncle.

"Yes, quite right. Now, Sara, it has come to my attention that there is still some room in the ballet dormitories. As you know, your aunt and I have no young children and here there are a lot of girls around your age. I was thinking that maybe you would enjoy living here at the Opera House, instead of holed up with only your aunt and I for company." He noticed Sara's expression falter slightly. "Mme. Giry has agreed to teach you something's that will make you useful around the opera house even with your handicap. You can learn to minor corrections to costumes and things like that."

Sara was upset. She had only been in her uncle's presence for a few moments and he was already looking for a way to get out of taking care of her. But, at the same time, she knew that she would be happier at the Opera House. She would have friends and something to do at all time. It would also give her a chance to find the mysterious stranger who made her feel so at ease with the slightest touch.

She stayed silent for several minutes, contemplating and not paying attention to her Uncles excuses for why she should stay at the opera house.

"Yes Uncle." She said at last. "I would like to stay here at the Opera House."


	2. Chapter 02

Sara felt her way down the hallway. She had been in the opera house for almost a year and knew her way around by the texture of the walls and pillars. She had been summoned to her uncle's office for reasons unknown to her. Unfortunately, on her way past the workers dormitories, some of the younger boys followed her until they were well away from anyone who could give them trouble.

They said nothing to her at first, but when she stumbled on a step the first peals of laughter rang out, and wouldn't stop after that. She continued to feel her way down the hallway, the sound of the boys teasing following her relentlessly. She stepped on the bottom of her skirt and fell forward. She could hear the boys laughing at her and felt hot tears of anger and embarrassment burning in her eyes.

Her hand and arm stung as she pushed herself up. She heard a collective gasp from behind her, and could hear the sound of the boys struggling to get past one another. She felt a hand slide under her left arm and felt someone strong lift her to her feet.

"Thank you." She said to whomever it was that had helped her up.

"You're bleeding." A familiar male voice sounded in her ear. It was the voice she had been waiting 11 months to hear from again. He grabbed her uninjured hand and led her away from the place she had fallen. "Come, I'll clean that for you."

He led her down a passage that she could sense she had never been down before. The air was musty and mouldy and when her hand brushed the wall her hand came away wet. She turned her attention to the man in front of her that was leading her down this new passage. His hand was covered in a material much like that of the ballerina leotards that she often repaired for Mme. Giry.

The man slowed their pace and eventually brought them to a halt. She could hear water dripping and the sound of two pieces of wood bumping together. He tightened his grip on her hand, as his other arm went around behind her.

"You are stepping into a boat, but don't worry, I have you."

Sara smiled to herself; she was not worried that he would hurt her. She could sense a power in him that made him frightening to everyone, but she could not understand why. He helped her sit down on a seat covered in fur and steered the boat out onto the water. It took several minutes before she heard the clank of metal as a grate rose from the water to the ceiling.

She felt the boat bump against land and the man helped her to her feet once more. "Count your steps until I tell you to stop." He told her.

After thirty seven steps he told her to stop, and sat her down on something soft. She quickly realized that she sat on a bed, and the sheets beneath her were satin. They were cool and soft against her arms. She could hear him walk away and heard the sound of him rummaging around. She could hear his footsteps return and the bed beside her shifted. He began to clean her cuts with water before adding an ointment that made her arm sting.

"Who are you?" She asked after several quiet minutes.

"Who I am is not important to one as young as you." He told her, trying to concentrate on his task.

"You're the man that helped me when I was first brought here. I knew who you were the minute the boys grew frightened."

"So then if you know who I am, why ask such silly questions?"

Sara sighed in frustration. Her twelve year old brain could not comprehend why he was avoiding her questions. "I just want to know what to call you."

The man stayed silent for several minutes. "I have no name."

Sara fell silent while he dressed the largest of her injuries. The man began to feel uncomfortable by her silence. He knew the young girl was blind, but it still unnerved him that she was staring right at him, without seeing him. He had become used to people fleeing at the sight of him, and yet this small girl, knew none of that.

He jumped when he felt her hand touch his arm, and slowly move upward. Sara's breath was shaky as she slid her hand up towards the man's face. Her hand touched the left side first before her other hand touched the right. Her face knotted into confusion as she felt the smooth leather of a mask. Her eyes widened when she realised who he was and gasped.

"You!" She gasped.

The Phantom pushed her hands angrily away and stood up. He stormed off, leaving Sara shaking, now knowing why the boys had run from this man. The Phantom strode over to his writing desk and threw down the bottle of ointment in anger. He should have known that her childish curiosity would get the better of her eventually and she would try to find out who he was. Sara had brought him great comfort at the thought of him finally finding someone who would not be frightened of him.

Sara took a deep breath and stood from the bed. She had no idea which way the Phantom had disappeared in, but at the same time she could sense his presence. She stumbled her way along a stairway, one hand on the wall and one hand outstretched in front of her. She finally felt the heat of his body and closed her hand over his shoulder. She slid her hand up the left side of his face before wrapping her arms around him, embracing him tightly.

"Erik." She whispered into his ear.

He touched one of her arms and held it. "What?"

"Your name," Sara told him. "Now your name is Erik."

For the first time in a very long time a smile crept across his face. They stayed like that for several minutes, before Erik stood and grabbed her hand. "Come, I must return you to the dormitories. I'm sure your uncle is wondering where you've disappeared to."

This time, instead of leaving on the lake, he showed her a passage, and had her touch the walls. He pushed open a door that lead to the hallway of her Uncles office. The same door he had exited through when he first saw her standing in the corridor. She stepped through and he quickly closed it behind her.

"There you are!" Her uncle exclaimed. "We've been searching for you for almost an hour!"

"Where have you been child?" Mme. Giry asked.

"With Erik." Sara said before she could stop herself.

"Who is Erik?" Her uncle demanded.

Mme. Giry saw the bandage on Sara's arm, and her eyes widened slightly. "Erik is one of the new stage hands, monsieur. She must have been showing him around and gotten lost."

Sara's uncle sighed in frustration. "Very well, what I needed to discuss with you will have to wait. I have a meeting with the Marquis; perhaps he will be feeling generous tonight and donate some more money to the production of the new opera. Mme. Giry, please take my niece back to her room."

Mme. Giry nodded, and after grabbing Sara's arm rather roughly, dragged the girl along behind her. "I don't know why you disappeared earlier." Mme. Giry told her as they reached the dormitories. "But be very careful to whom you speak of Erik to."

Sara's eyes narrowed in confusion. "You know who he is then?"

Mme. Giry said nothing, but opened the door for Sara. "Go to bed."

Sara nodded and walked through the door, counting the twelve steps that it took to get to her bed. She sat down and began to undo her shoes, feeling someone else's weight join her. "Who is it?" She demanded.

"It's me." Christine whispered to her softly.

Sara sighed, not wanting to deal with any of Christine's problems at that particular moment. "What's wrong?"

Christine sighed and glanced around to make sure that none of the other girls were listening. "Do you believe in angels?"

"Of course, why do you ask?"

Christine looked around once more before leaning in closer to Sara. "I think my father sent the Angel of Music to me today." Christine said.

Sara's jaw dropped, Christine always spoke of how her father promised to send her an Angel to guide her. Before today, she would have thought that Christine was making it up, searching for some way to bring herself the comfort that she was constantly looking for. But now, she knew who Christine was speaking of. It wasn't any Angel, but Erik, continuing the search for someone to love him.

Christine took Sara's shock as one of disbelief. "Christine, did the Angel tell you his name?"

Christine gave her friend an odd look. "No, he only said that he was the Angel of Music come to guide me. Why would you ask if he told me his name?"

Sara shrugged, looking away from Christine. "No reason."


	3. Chapter 03

Time began to fly for Sara as she became content in her place at the opera house. She passed her days fixing costumes for Mme. Giry and doing other little odd jobs that she found she could do to amuse herself. She also spent a lot of time learning to find her way around the massive Opera House with the help of Erik. He had spent a lot of time cutting marks that were insignificant to anyone but Sara. These marks represented which hallway she was turning into, and he had shown her each one, telling her their meaning.

Her sixteenth birthday quickly came about, surprising even Sara at how long she had been living in the opera house. She woke up the morning of her birthday to hear the excited whispers of several of the dancers. She yawned and stretched, before climbing to her feet, something clattering to the floor by her feet.

"Looks like Sara has an admirer." Meg teased, bending down to pick up the cane that had fallen from Sara's lap.

"What do you mean?" Sara asked, as Meg laid the cane in Sara's hands.

The cane was smooth and painted black. The tip on the bottom was made of metal, insuring that if anything were in front of her she would not only feel but hear it. Sound was the most important thing to Sara. Often the sound of echo's told Sara how far away something was from her. This was yet another trick that Erik had taught her.

"There's a note!" Christine exclaimed, jumping on to the bed beside Sara. Sara could hear the sound of an envelope being opened. "Sara, this is just something to help you move around more easily. Erik."

Meg pushed Sara's shoulder playfully. "And who is Erik? Perhaps a rich gentlemen who has come to see performances and has fallen madly in love with you?"

Christine joined in the banter. "Yes, come on Sara, you can tell us. This cane is made of the finest material and must have cost a fortune."

Sara continued to run her hands over the smooth wood, feeling the small notches that Erik had made in the cane, spelling Sara's name. She knew that this was so that she would be able to identify her cane compared to anyone else's in the opera house.

"Erik is simply a friend from my childhood. The son of one of my father's friends." Sara told them, blushing slightly.

"And why have you never mentioned him before?" Meg asked.

Sara was becoming annoyed with this conversation and moved to get dressed. "It's not important. It's a simple birthday present, nothing else. Stop looking for it to mean something."

A year later, as Sara's seventeenth birthday approached a new soprano started at the company, quickly making everyone's life a living hell. Carlotta Guidicelli was a flamboyant, over the top Italian woman; she was very passionate about everything she did and said. Unfortunately her voice, while very good, could also sound like fingernails on a chalk board. This was the worst form of torture for everyone's ears, but especially Sara's sensitive ones.

Obviously the crew was not the only one's who thought for. Many "mysterious" accidents began to happen when Carlotta was rehearsing. Everyone blamed the Phantom of the Opera, while Sara could only chuckle to herself, knowing that the Phantom was really flesh and blood. She was also amused with the incidents, since she often sat with Erik as he planned them out.

The only answer that her uncle and everyone else could give Signora Guidicelli was: "These things do happen" and "There are always problems in the first few days of rehearsal".

But as the years passed, the incidents became more and more dangerous and even Sara began to worry. She had known for a long time that Erik had been visiting Christine and telling her that he was her "Angel of Music". She also knew that Erik had now become obsessed with making Christine a success, but at the same time, he had become obsessed with Christine herself.

Sara had begun to dislike the relationship that Christine and Erik had formed. She had come to depend on Erik, and she did not wish to share him with anyone else.

Eventually her uncle could no longer bare Carlotta's demanding nature and quickly found someone to buy the Opera House from him. He had informed Sara that they would be leaving for Australia as soon as all the arrangements were made and deals were settled. This news sent Sara into a panic.

She had chosen to stay in the Opera House because she had wanted to learn more about who Erik was. Now she wanted to stay because he was the only family that she had left. He was more of a companion to her than anyone, and she did not want to be torn away from that. She found herself locked in the dormitories or walking around the cemetery, contemplating the position that she was in.

She wouldn't even leave to visit Erik and he had finally had enough of her ignoring her. Sara left the Opera House, telling her uncle that she was going to the cemetery to say her farewells to her parents. Erik followed her on the horse that he kept beneath the Opera house.

He often left the opera house to roam the streets of Paris on this horse and had become an accomplished rider. He was able to stay behind her carriage and stay out of sight until she was well on her way to the crypt of her parents. He approached her silently, studying the rigid posture she held herself in.

She didn't flinch when his arm brushed against hers as he stood beside her. "I knew that you were following me."

"You haven't come to see me." Erik said, staring at the crypt. "And I know that your uncle has sold my theater to those two fools."

Sara said nothing, but kept her head bowed. "He wants me to travel to Australia with himself and my aunt."

"I know."

"So what is your advice? If ever I needed your council, it's now." Sara told him.

Erik glanced over at her, and could see the large bags under her eyes, telling him that she had not slept properly in days, and that this was something that disturbed her greatly. "I cannot tell you what to do. But, I don't think you should leave. You're too important to the way things work around here."

Sara said nothing in response to what he said. She eventually nodded, gave a small bow and took her leave of him, determined to see her uncle. The driver of the carriage helped her in to the Opera House when they returned, and Sara quickly made her way to her uncle's office.

Sara knocked and waited until she was summoned before entering the room. "Ah, Sara!" Her uncle exclaimed. "Gentlemen, this is my niece, Sara Lennox, who lives and works here in the Opera House." Sara could sense the presence of two men, and turned in their general direction.

"An honour Monsieur's, but may I interrupt your meeting for a brief moment? I have something of a rather urgent nature to discuss with my uncle." Sara requested.

"Of course Mademoiselle," Said one of the men. "M. Leferve, we shall take our leave and view some of the other rooms."

When they were alone Sara found a chair and sat down. "You have become quite adept at hiding your handicap."

Sara ignored the comment and folded her hands in her lap. "Must I travel with you and my aunt to Australia?"

M. Leferve was startled by the question. He had never thought that she would not want to join them. "You want to stay at the Opera house?"

Sara's eyes closed and she nodded. "Yes. This place is my home, and I have many friends here. Also, I hardly know my Aunt; it would make the trip awkward for both of us."

M. Leferve sat back in his chair and contemplated what his niece was telling him. Sara began to grow uneasy at his silence when he cleared his throat. "Very well. I did not consider the fact that perhaps you would like to stay here." He stood up and walked to his niece. He cupped her cheek in his hand. "Stay here with my blessing. Now, I must show M. Firmin and M. Andre around the Opera house."

Sara stayed seated where she was for several minutes, not believing that her uncle had given his blessing to allow her to stay where she was. She finally stood and walked from the office, she could hear a commotion on stage and knew that Erik was up to his tricks again, but she was too ecstatic to care. She was staying in the place where she always felt comforted, with the only man who could help her feel that way. And she was determined to keep it that way for as long as possible.


	4. Chapter 04

AN: I had to remove the lyrics so the full chapter can be found at this web page (remove the spaces):  
www. geocities. com/ gerrysmistress/ index. html

* * *

That night Christine took to the stage for the first time as a leading soprano. Erik had done what he had always threatened to do and finally ran Carlotta out of the theater. Everyone in the cast and on the crew flocked to the edges of the stage to watch Christine perform her solo. Everyone, except Sara, who had left the area as soon as the opera had started.

She had gone down to Erik's lair and he had been quick to suggest that they go for a walk, something they did quite often. She was telling him all about the conversation with her uncle when he touched her arm to stop her talking. Sara stood patiently, listening as the sound of Christine's voice floated down to them. Sara sighed quietly and moved away from Erik as he became entranced in the song.

"Beautiful." He whispered as the last chords of the song drifted off.

He turned to find Sara leaning against the wall, an annoyed look on her face. "Will you finally make yourself known to Christine tonight?" She asked her annoyance even more evident in her tone.

"Perhaps, I think with the success of tonight, it would be for the best."

Sara pushed herself away from the wall, and turned her back to Erik, not wanting him to see the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Well, I shall take my leave then. I'm sure that you have much to prepare."

Erik watched Sara walk quickly away from him. Her reaction to his comment confused him, but he did not have the time to contemplate her jealousy. She had been right about one thing; there was much he had to prepare.

Sara stepped through the hidden door that was behind the mirror in Christine's dressing room. She closed it tightly as she had been instructed several times, and quickly crossed the room to leave it. She closed the dressing room door behind her and was about to move away when a hand closed around her arm like a vice.

"What do you think you were doing?" The voice and hand belonged to Joseph Buquet, one of the stage hands.

He was what Mme. Giry called: "A beast of a man with nothing better to do than drink and chase after the dancers." His presence had always made Meg, Christine and Sara uncomfortable, but he haunted the ballet dormitories, much like Erik haunted the rest of the theater.

"Not that I have to explain myself to you, but I was delivering something that Christine had requested to be in her room when she was done performing." Sara said trying to get her arm away.

Buquet held her arm even tighter, the grip making Sara wince in pain. "What was it?"

"How would I know? Mme. Giry handed me an envelope and told me to deliver it to the dressing room."

Sara was now wondering if Buquet was trying to break her arm, because his grip just kept tightening, and it was almost becoming unbearable to her. "I didn't see you go in that room."

"Yes, well I can smell the liquor on you, and that drink makes you even blinder than I will ever be." Sara hissed at him. "Now let me go!"

The sound of a large group of people entering the hallway was what made Buquet finally release her arm. Sara walked away from him, her arm aching where he had held her. She passed Mme. Giry, who eyed her warily and climbed the stairs to the dormitory, wanting nothing more than to sleep away the night and try to forget that Erik would soon have Christine under his power. That very thought frightened Sara, who did not want to lose her precious friend.

She drifted off into a restless and dreamless sleep while the party raged on down below. Many hours later several dancers entered the dormitories, their excited squeals waking Sara up from her slumber.

"Sleeping in your clothes now Sara?" One of the dancers teased as Sara climbed to her feet and left the room.

Sara returned to the area where the party was winding down, who ever was left in the hallway were probably too drunk to make it up the stairs to their beds alone. She stumbled on a foot, but kept heading towards Christine's dressing room. Sara knew that if the door was locked then it meant that Erik had taken Christine away. However, if the door was open and Christine was in the room, she could easily pretend like she had come to congratulate her friend on her fine performance.

She touched the marks on the door frame to make sure she was at the right door before testing the handle. She found herself becoming angry at the fact that it was indeed locked, and moved to Piangi's room, where there was a similar hidden door. As she closed the door to Piangi's unused room, Meg appeared and let herself into Christine's dressing room.

Sara was making her way down a side corridor, attached to the one that Meg was currently walking down. Sara froze at the sound of Meg's scream and waited, breathing quietly to see if the girl would run into her. It didn't take long before she heard another set of footsteps and Mme. Giry's disapproving sigh at finding her daughter snooping around.

Only when Sara could no longer hear the two women, did she continue on her way. She continued down the corridor, feeling the familiar guidance of the notches under her fingers. She turned away from the water and continued to move down a passage that she knew would make her seen. Provided, of course that Erik was at his writing desk.

It didn't take her long to come to the entrance hidden by a tapestry. She could smell candles burning and hear the sound of a pen scratching against parchment. She began to pull the tapestry back, but froze when she heard Christine's voice.

Sara dropped the tapestry, wondering for a brief moment whether or not Christine had seen her.

Sara was afraid that Christine had seen her, but when she pulled the tapestry back, she realized that she was safe, and hadn't been seen.

Sara held her breath, tears of jealousy burning in her eyes. She silently hoped that Christine would remove Erik's mask, if she did that then he might hate her enough to never see her again.

A grin crept across Sara's face. Once again Christine's morbid curiosity had gotten the better of her. And this time, she was in a lot of trouble.

Erik pushed a candelabrum over, almost making Sara cry out as the loud bang startled her. She was disappointed, he didn't hate Christine, and he was using his face as an excuse to keep her prisoner. Sara could hear Erik's tone quickly turning from anger to self pity.

The silence was beginning to drive Sara insane. For the first time since she was a child she wished that she could see what was going on.

"Come we must return. Those two fools who run my theatre will be missing you." Erik told Christine.

Sara stayed in her hiding place until she could no longer hear the sounds of Erik pushing the boat through the water. She slowly made her way down the stone steps, silently counting as she always did. She leaned down until she could feel the softness of the satin sheets and sat down to await Erik's return.

It wasn't long before she heard Erik returning and turned to face him. She could hear his footsteps on dry land, but they were walking away from her, meaning that he hadn't noticed her presence.

She soon heard the scratch of his pen once more and sighed quietly. She stood and began walking towards the passage beside the bed that would lead her out.

"Don't go." Erik said, making her pause. "Come here."

Sara turned and walked towards the area where his writing desk was located. She hadn't brought her cane so she tripped on the fallen candelabra. Erik stood up and walked over to her, helping her off the floor and over to a chair.

"I'm surprised you let her go." Sara told him quietly.

Erik said nothing, but returned to his desk. They sat quietly for a long time, Erik writing, and Sara listening to the sound of his pen scratching on the paper. "I want you to deliver these notes for me."

Sara's head cocked to one side in curiosity, "Who are they for?"

"The owners, the patron, Mme. Giry, and Carlotta." He told her.

"Will you read them to me?"

Erik glanced over at her in confusion before, pulling out the notes and reading them to her. Each one carried instructions to ensure the success of Christine and the downfall of Carlotta. The final one was addressed to everyone, and she was to deliver it to Mme. Giry. Erik would take care of the rest.


	5. Chapter 05

AN: I had to remove the lyrics so the full chapter can be found at this web page (remove the spaces):  
www. geocities. com/ gerrysmistress/ index. html

* * *

Sara approached Mme. Giry's room quietly. She bumped into the door, and cursed herself for not bringing her cane with her. She knocked on the door and could hear Mme. Giry moving around inside.

"I'm sorry Sara, but Christine cannot be disturbed right now." Mme. Giry said when she opened the door.

"I haven't come to see Christine." Sara said. She held out the note that Erik had given her. "I found this on my pillow."

Mme. Giry knew that Sara was lying, but took the note and opened it. "Meg! Sara, come with me."

Meg exited the room and the three women walked down to the main lobby of the Opera house. Sara heard everyone talking excitedly, and knew it was because of Erik's notes.

"Miss. Daae has returned." Mme. Giry told the group in front of them.

"I hope no worse for wear as far as we're concerned." Firmin said.

"Where precisely is she now?" Andre asked.

"I thought it best she was alone." Mme. Giry responded.

"She needed rest." Meg added.

The Viscomte looked past Mme. Giry at Sara before walking down the stairs. "May I see her?"

"No, Monsieur, she will see no one."

Raoul looked past Mme. Giry at Sara, who could feel his gaze and shifted uncomfortably. Firmin began to read the note that Mme. Giry had handed to him, and Raoul walked down the stairs to Sara.

"Where is Christine?" Raoul asked her.

Sara shook her head. "I don't know M. la Viscomte. But if Mme. Giry says Christine should be alone, then it is best to respect her wishes." Before Raoul could ask her anything else, Sara excused herself and walked away.

She climbed the stairs of the dormitories, praying that they would be empty. She was pleased to find only one dancer, rummaging around in the room.

"Don't worry Sara; I'll only be a minute." Anna-Maria told her.

Once Anna-Maria found the spare shoes that she was looking for she quickly left the room. Sara sighed as she lay down; hoping that the sleep she needed would come quickly.

"Did you deliver the note?" Erik's voice sounded in her ear just as she was starting to drift off to sleep.

Sara sighed and ran a hand over her face, frustrated that she was being kept awake. "Yes I delivered it." Erik said nothing in return and Sara wondered if he was still with her. She knew that he was, she could sense his presence, but his silence was unnerving her. "Erik?"

He tenderly picked up the arm that Joseph Buquet had held tightly the night before. She now had a large, dark bruise on her arm in the shape of his hand. Sara whimpered softly when Erik gently pressed on it.

"Whose hand print is this?" Erik demanded.

"What do you mean?" Sara asked him innocently.

The tone of his voice shocked her. Even when Christine had removed his mask, his tone was not nearly as angry as it was now. She didn't really want to tell him what had happened. After all, this was the same man who could drop a background painting on Carlotta simply to make Christine's career progress. She could only imagine what he would do to someone out of anger.

"This mark on your arm, it's from someone holding onto you very tight. Who did it?" Erik's voice echoed menacingly off the walls, making Sara flinch at the sound.

"Joseph Buquet." She whispered softly.

She heard Erik growl in anger and the swoop of his cape as he disappeared. Sara sat up, her hands shaking, wondering if she had just condemned Buquet to some horrible fate.

Meg walked in minutes later and glanced over at Sara's bed. She could see her friend was deathly pale and trembling like mad. Meg crossed the room and sat down next to Sara. "Are you alright?" Meg asked, taking one of Sara's hands.

"What? Oh, no, I'm fine. I just have a bit of a headache." Sara told her. "Why are you up here?"

"I came to grab some stockings for Christine's costume. The performance will be starting in just under an hour and her stockings are ripped beyond repair." Meg explained.

"Is she still playing the Page Boy tonight?" Sara asked.

"Yes, M. Firmin and M. Andre refuse to give into the Phantom's demands. I'm afraid of what might happen tonight."

Sara bowed her head and said nothing. Meg stood and retrieved the stockings from Christine's beside bureau and moved to walk out once more. "Wait, I'll come with you. I'm sure your mother will need my help with something."

The two girls walked down the stairs arm in arm, Sara remembering to bring her cane with her this time. "You know, I find something very odd." Meg said after several long minutes of silence.

"What's that?"

"I think my mother knows who the Opera Ghost is."

Sara was taken aback by Meg's announcement. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, he's always leaving his notes in her care, or he leaves them for her to find. An, she's always defending him to people like Joseph Buquet." Meg told her.

"Well, maybe he trusts her to deliver the notes, and so she doesn't break that trust, she defends his character. That way, she always knows what is going on." Sara explained.

Meg didn't have the chance to respond to Sara's theory, as they walked into the busy stage area where everyone was getting ready. Sara moved off to one side, dancers bringing her pieces of their costumes that need minor repairs to be done before they were put on.

As everyone took their places, Mme. Giry wrapped her arm around Sara and guided her over to the side of the stage where they always stood. Sara remained lost in thought as the performance started, praying that for once Buquet was where he was supposed to be, and not off somewhere on his own.

"You've been awfully quiet tonight." Mme. Giry said. "Is something the matter?"

Sara shook her head. "I'm just curious to know what the notes meant by 'great misfortune' and 'a disaster beyond your imagination'."

Mme. Giry sighed and smoothed down Sara's hair. "I'm sure that it means nothing, he probably just wants to scare…."

"_Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be kept empty?_" Erik's booming voice filled the auditorium, causing everyone to gasp.

"He's there, the Phantom of the Opera." Meg whispered to those standing around her.

"It's him." Christine muttered.

Sara grabbed onto Mme. Giry's arm. "What's going on?"

Mme. Giry stared upwards, her eyes wide in shock. "I don't know. He's never done anything like this before."

"All is well, Joseph Buquet is up there, he'll catch him!"

"No!" Both women exclaimed.

Carlotta began the set once more, and before long her voice was cracking horribly, which brought Sara's attention back to the stage. She knew that sound, she had heard a man demonstrate it one day while at a market place with Erik. The man had explained that the liquid was meant to paralyse the vocal chords of animals that were used on stage to keep them from making noise. She hadn't realized that Erik had bought some, and she now knew that he must have slipped some into Carlotta's throat spray.

"I have to go and help Christine change. Stay here." Mme. Giry whispered into Sara's ear.

Sara obeyed Mme. Giry and didn't move from her spot. The ballet that was meant for act three started up, to give Christine enough time to change into the countess costume.

Meg glanced across the stage at Sara and saw her friend's head suddenly tilt up, a look of confusion on her face. Meg wondered if perhaps Sara had heard something over the music and laughter of the crowd and turned to mention it to the girl beside her.

In actuality, Sara hadn't heard anything. However, something told her that Erik was above her, and that intuition hadn't been wrong yet. When Meg turned back to look at her friend, the body of Joseph Buquet dropped from above, a noose tight around his neck. Sara jumped as the sounds of terrified screams flooded her sensitive ears.

She felt someone bump into her, and grabbed onto the person's hand. "What happened, what's going on?" She asked.

"It's Buquet, he's been murdered!" The man exclaimed.

Sara dropped his hand as her hands flew to her mouth in shock. "Christine." She muttered quietly to herself. She knew that her best bet of finding Erik was to find Christine.

It took Sara several minutes to get through the crowd that was surging forward. She broke into a brisk pace when she cleared the crowd, only to have someone grab onto her arm.

"Where are you going?" Mme. Giry demanded. "It's not safe!"

"I need to find Christine. I can't explain why."

Mme. Giry sighed, "She was heading to the roof with the Viscomte." She said after several tense minutes.

Sara nodded and moved towards the roof as fast as she could manage without tripping and falling. She was about to open the door, when Christine and Raoul's voices floated through the door to her.

The door opened and Sara had to step back quickly to avoid being hit. "Forgive me, I did not mean to intrude, but they need Christine back downstairs."

Christine giggled as Raoul kissed her hand, "Thank you Sara."

Sara waited until she could no longer hear the pair before stepping outside. "Erik?" She called softly, before walking over to where she could sense he was. She almost tripped on his foot, and reached out to touch him. Her hand met nothing but air, so she slowly lowered it, finding Erik's head. She slowly slid her hand down the side of his mask as she knelt beside him, and closed her hand over his shoulder.

Sara wrapped her arms around him, her hand bumping the rose that he had pressed to his lips. She could feel a tear run down his face and drop onto her hand.

Sara felt his body start to shake in anger and quickly released her hold on him.

Sara stayed where he had left her, silently collecting the petals of the rose that he had crushed. She heard him returning to him and she quickly slid back from him. It wasn't that she was scared, but he had been angry only seconds ago, and she didn't want to get caught in his wrath.

"What are you going to do?" Sara asked him from where she sat.

"Nothing, she belongs to me."

Sara sighed, "But, she's in love with the Viscomte."

Erik turned and began to walk away. "That doesn't matter. I will do to him what I did to Buquet."

Sara waited until she heard the creak of the door. "Why did you do it?" She asked, making him stop. "Why did you kill Buquet?"

Erik didn't look back at her. "Because, he followed me."

Sara heard the door slam behind and sobbed into her hands. "I'm so sorry, Joseph." She said to the night.

Erik could hear the sounds of her tears through the door. For the first time, since he could remember, he felt anguish for someone other than himself. He hadn't thought that the death of Joseph Buquet would upset Sara this much and each sob was cutting him to the core.

"I did it because he hurt you." He said, turning back and touching the door gently before returning to his lair.


	6. Chapter 06

AN: I had to remove the lyrics so the full chapter can be found at this web page (remove the spaces):  
www. geocities. com/ gerrysmistress/ index. html

* * *

Christine left the opera house the night that Joseph Buquet died. For three months Erik remained in his lair, barely speaking to Sara when she came to visit him. M. Firmin and M. Andre and everyone else at the Opera House thought that they were rid of the Phantom once and for all.

Sara stubbornly insisted on continuing to see him, hoping that he would talk with her like he used to. Eventually she figured that if she was going to just be sitting there, not speaking to him, then she could at least get some work done.

She sat down on his bed and began to sew up a costume that Meg had asked her to do some major repair to. She could feel his eyes on her, but ignored it, knowing that he would only turn around and ignore her if she tried to start a conversation.

Erik continued to stare as she worked on the costume. He found lately that he was having a hard time not watching her. He often found himself wondering what happened to the child who had been standing in the manager's hallway so long ago.

She had changed so much over the years. She was almost as tall as he was, her hair had gone from an orangey-red to a dark auburn, the scars around her eyes that had once been so prominent were now faded into her pale skin. Her face had changed from the round, angelic face of a child, to the thin, innocent face of a woman who did not know that she was beautiful.

Sara sighed in frustration and throwing her sewing down. "Why are you staring at me?" Erik said nothing. He turned back to his desk and began writing again. Sara rolled her eyes, picked up her sewing and stood up. "Fine, I'm leaving then."

Erik stopped writing and listened to her leave. He didn't want her to be angry with him, but his recent development of feelings towards her was clouding his mind. He wasn't in love with her, but he knew that there was the possibility of it. He had to concentrate on getting Christine back, and he had to finish his Opera. That night was the Masquerade ball, and he had every intention of showing up, even though he was not on the guest list.

Sara walked out of the secret door near the dormitories. She barely had it closed when she heard Meg's laughter ring out at the end of the hallway. Sara quickly turned and hoped that she looked like she was walking from the dormitories.

"There you are Sara!" Meg exclaimed. "Where are you going, we need to get ready!"

"For what?" Sara asked as Meg grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the dormitories.

"The Masquerade of course." Meg said, pulling Sara roughly behind her.

"Oh that. I'm not going to it." Sara said as Meg pushed her onto the bed.

"Why not?"

Before Sara could answer her hand touched a piece of paper. She closed her eyes in disbelief and pulled the paper out from under her pillow. "Meg, read this for me."

Meg opened the envelope and pulled a short note out. "Sara, you must attend the Masquerade tonight. Many things will be brought to light. Erik."

Sara groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Damn him!" She muttered.

Meg re-read the note and squealed in delight. "See, now you have to come! I want to finally meet this Erik!"

Sara groaned as Meg called several other girls over and the fawned over Sara like a new born baby. "Wow, it's amazing how beautiful you can look when some effort is put forth." One of the Tarts said.

"This coming from the girl who is attending the ball with M. Firmin, hoping to get some money." Sara snapped back.

Meg pulled Sara away, "Don't listen to her. You look marvellous. If this doesn't attract Erik, nothing will."

Meg turned to get herself dressed, leaving Sara to her thoughts. She found herself wondering what it would be like to have Erik's attention like Christine did. The thought made a shiver of pleasure rush through her.

"Have you spoken to Christine?" Sara asked Meg, needing to get her mind off of Erik.

"Yes, she sent me a letter last week. Apparently she has something exciting to tell me tonight." Meg said. "There, finished. Let's go down, I can already hear the music."

Meg and Sara walked down the stairs together. Meg had refused to let Sara bring her cane with her, saying that it would take away from her dress, so Sara had to rely on Meg to get her to the ball in one piece. When they entered the lobby area where the masquerade was being held, Sara quickly broke away from Meg and walked to an area where she hoped she was out of the way.

Christine and Raoul entered the masquerade, but did not see Sara, half hidden by a column. "_Think_ _of it, a secret engagement. Look, your future bride._"

Sara's jaw dropped. She wondered what would happen if Erik knew, but at the same time she prayed that he never found out.

"Christine, Sara's here." Raoul told his fiancée.

Christine dragged Raoul over to her friend and embraced her tightly. "You look beautiful!" She exclaimed before being dragged away by Raoul to dance.

Sara stayed where she was. She wished that she could see all of the costumes and masks, but she was still enjoying herself. She listened to conversations, smiled at the songs and laughter of every one, and danced several times with various partners.

Christine backed away as Raoul disappeared. The lights had grown dim and a figure could be seen standing at the top of the stairs. She grabbed onto Sara's hand, making Sara jump at the sudden, unexpected contact.

"What's going on?" Sara whispered.

"It's him." Christine said.

Sara quickly clued in and backed away from Christine, not wanting Erik to see her.

Sara now understood why Erik had been writing so feverishly the past three months.

A slight movement out of the corner of his eye caught Erik's attention. Sara was standing off to the side, and the sight of her took his breath away. She was slowly moving towards the stairs, trying not to trip on the skirt of her blue dress.

Sara paused mid step. She could feel Erik's eyes on her, and her breath quickened. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable, knowing that the corset she wore under her dress made her body appear curvier than she normally appeared. She started moving again, knowing that if she could make it to the top of the stairs, she could escape his gaze.

Erik turned his attention back to Christine; something sparkling in her bosom caught his attention. He grabbed the chain and ripped the engagement ring from her neck.

He ran up the stairs and grabbed Sara's arm on his way by. He pulled her behind him, wrapped the length of his cape around his arm, and using an old theatre trick, the two of them disappeared through a trap door. Raoul jumped in after them and Sara could hear him unsheathe his sword.

She couldn't see the revolving mirrors that surround her, but her eyes fluttered shut when Erik's hand wrapped around the base of her neck, and he pulled her tight against his body. His touch sent shivers of delight through her body and while he was holding her rather forcefully, she was still captivated by how sensual the touch was.

Erik finally pulled her away from the mirrored room; much like Mme. Giry had just done to Raoul. Sara was out of breath from the quick pace, and the fact that Meg had tied her corset so tight. He sat her down on his bed and proceeded to change out of his costume.

"Why am I here Erik?" Sara asked.

"Why shouldn't you be? You always come to see me." Erik said, replacing his skull mask with his white one.

"Yes, but you've never just taken me before."

Erik sighed and shrugged out of the uncomfortable jacket into his long smoking coat. "I felt like some company."

Sara's head remained bowed for several minutes, allowing Erik to stare at her. "At least now I know why you've been acting the way you have. Why didn't you ever tell me about your opera?"

"I wanted it to surprise everyone, including you." He told her.

Sara had nothing else to say, so she sat quietly, while Erik stared at Christine's ring in contemplation. "What will you do now that Christine is engaged?"

"She belongs to me."

Sara growled in frustration and climbed hastily to her feet. "Obviously she doesn't think that!"

Erik turned in shock. Sara had never raised her voice to him before. "It doesn't matter if she doesn't think it, it's the truth."

"And what about me? Where do I sit in your plan, oh masterful genius?" Sara snapped.

"You don't sit anywhere. You are my companion." Erik told her.

"Funny, I've never known someone who has a companion to wallow in so much self pity!"

Erik's face reddened and the vein in his neck began to pulse as rage flew through him. "How dare you! You know nothing of my self pity."

"I know nothing of it? I've listened to you complain for the past eight years about your life and how no one loves you, no one shows you compassion. What do you think I'm doing?" Sara asked.

Erik glared at her. "If you could see your opinion of me would be different!" He spat out. "And what do you mean what you're doing?"

By now Sara had tears of frustration and anger streaming down her face. "I've shown you nothing but compassion, I've done nothing but love you and you can't see that!"

The force and passion behind her words threw Erik of guard, and his expression softened. He quickly walked towards her and cupped her face in his hands. "Sara, I…"

Sara pulled her head away from him, "Don't, I know now that you only want Christine, and I'm a fool to think otherwise."

Sara turned and disappeared down one of the many tunnels that would lead her back to the dormitories. Erik stared after her, her words echoing in his mind. He turned to his desk, a tear appearing from beneath his mask.


	7. Chapter 07

AN: I had to remove the lyrics so the full chapter can be found at this web page (remove the spaces):  
www. geocities. com/ gerrysmistress/ index. html

* * *

Sara spent her days in the dormitories. Quite often, Meg and Christine had to bring food to her and force her to eat. Both girls thought that Sara was traumatized from being taken away by the Phantom. When she was alone, Sara often cried herself to sleep, her heart breaking.

Erik was in misery as well. He missed Sara's company and when ever he went to the dormitories to see her, there were traces of tears on her sleeping face. He took to locking himself away in his lair, waiting to see if they would follow his demands this time. He knew they had been rehearsing; he had been to listen to the rehearsals several times.

Christine sat down beside her friend and gently shook her awake. "Sara, I need you to do something for me."

Sara sat up, her head tilted to one side. "What is it, what's wrong?"

"I'm going to the cemetery; I need to go to my father's grave. If Raoul asks where I've gone, please tell him that I'm safe."

Sara did not understand her friend's request, but she nodded anyway. Not long after Christine left, Sara heard Raoul jump to his feet. He bumped Sara's bed on the way to the window, and would not stop when Sara called out to him. Sara felt uneasy, and climbed out of bed and dressed to wait for Christine to return.

It was hours later when Christine returned. "Stay here, and for once listen to me!" Raoul said, leaving them alone.

Sara stood and crossed the room to Christine, sitting beside her. "Christine, what happened at the cemetery?"

Sara could feel Christine shaking. "He came there. The Phantom followed me." Christine said. "Oh Sara, will I ever escape him?"

Christine collapsed against her friend and sobbed into her shoulder. "What happened?" Sara asked, rubbing Christine's back.

"He and Raoul fought, Sara, I was so scared. They could have killed each other!"

Sara's hand froze in the middle of Christine back. "Did anything else happen? Was anyone hurt?"

"The Phantom stabbed Raoul's arm, but I don't know if anything happened to the Phantom." Christine said.

Sara released her friend and climbed to her feet. "I'm going to go check on Raoul for you."

Sara quickly left the room, but instead of heading to the manager's office, where she was sure Raoul would be, she headed for a door hidden in the wall. She made her way through the passage, tripping several times, but never falling. When she came to the end of the passage she could hear Erik throwing things around and growling in anger.

He turned, throwing a candle into the water when he saw Sara standing by his desk. "What are you doing here?" He demanded.

Sara fidgeted nervously, "Christine told me what happened at the cemetery."

Erik froze, "And have you come to tell me 'I told you so'?"

Sara shook her head, tears shimmering in her eyes. Erik stared at her, wondering what was going through her mind. Sara finally crossed the room in five large strides and threw her arms around his neck. Erik dropped the bust he had been prepared to throw.

"I was worried that something might have happened to you!" She whispered into the skin of his neck.

Erik's eyes closed, and he wrapped his arms around her. They stood embracing for several minutes. "They're performing my Opera tonight." He whispered into her ear.

Sara pulled back from him in shock. "But the rehearsals, they've been horrible."

Erik pulled away from her and walked to his desk. Once there he sat down and changed his mask. "They've improved."

Sara shook her head in confusion. "I don't think you've heard them properly. Christine and Signor Piangi are horrible together!"

Erik grabbed Sara's hand and led her back up to the surface. "Stay at the side of the stage. Then I know you'll be safe."

"Erik, what do you mean?" Sara asked. The only response she got was the closing of the door.

She nervously made her way down to the stage area. She did as Erik asked and picked a side of the stage, keeping to the back part. She didn't like the feeling of dread that felt like a dead weight in her stomach. She nervously played with her finger tips, listening to everyone take their places. She took several deep, calming breaths as Carlotta and the other took to the stage.

Sara winced as Carlotta's screeching soprano filled the auditorium. She continued to nervously fidget, turning at the sound of a man screaming, and couldn't remember if it was part of the play or not. Sara started to relax, thinking that maybe for once Erik would just sit back and enjoy the opera as he used to.

Sara's hands had been rising to brush a strand of hair off her face, but froze when she heard Erik's voice come from the stage. She knew he had been planning something, but she had never dreamt of this.

Sara felt something cold brush her arm and it snapped her out of the trance that Erik's voice had made her fall into.

"Well, so far the Viscomte's plan has failed." Carlotta muttered, stepping up beside Sara.

Sara's eyes widened and she turned to Carlotta. "Signora, what do you mean?

"First she seduces the Viscomte, now this." Carlotta said. "Why don't they just shoot him?

"Signora, please, what is going on?" Sara asked desperately.

"The Viscomte has police officers all around the theatre. They are to shoot this Phantom on sight, but he's standing on the stage, and no one has yet to shoot." Carlotta said.

"No." Sara whispered to herself.

Sara was about to move when the screams of everyone in the theatre and around her sounded in her ears. She froze on spot, remembering that Erik told her to stay where she was, and looked around helplessly, not understanding what was happening around her. She heard the sound of something being cut and then the loud sound of something tearing through the ceiling.

"He cut the chandelier!" Mme. Giry yelled. "Sara, run, get away from here."

"But he told me to stay here." Sara said.

"No, go find him, they will be coming for him and you must get him out." Mme. Giry said opening a door that Sara was surprised she knew about.

Sara moved down the tunnel, it was one of the ones that she was not used to so she had to go at a slower place. Somewhere above her she heard a clatter followed by the sound of machinery. She knew at once that someone had set off one of Erik's traps.

Sara cursed herself for not knowing the tunnels better, and hoped that she would get down to his lair in time to warn him of the pursuing mob.


	8. Chapter 08

AN: I had to remove the lyrics so the full chapter can be found at this web page (remove the spaces):  
www. geocities. com/ gerrysmistress/ index. html

* * *

Sara finally made it out of the tunnel; she leaned against the wall, trying desperately to catch her breath.

Sara moved down the stairs, "Erik, there's a mob coming!" She called, but neither him, nor Christine seemed to hear her.

Sara moved away from where she was standing, she wasn't really sure where she was until her knee bumped against the back of Erik's bed. She quickly sank down on to it, silently listening to what was going on.

Sara didn't know why she had just jumped to her feet, perhaps to keep Raoul from hurting Erik.

_  
_Sara heard the sound of the grate at the front of Erik's lair being raised, and said a silent prayer.

Sara didn't know what to do, she felt lost and helpless, and wanted desperately to help. However, she didn't know who she wanted to help more. Erik was her best friend, and she loved him deeply, but Christine was also a dear friend.

_  
_Sara began to curse whoever had decided to make her blind, wanting to see why everything had fallen silent. She heard Erik's quiet sobs, and wanted to go to her friend.

"Erik!" Sara called, making everyone turn. Christine and Raoul could not see her, and thought that they had imagined it.

Sara felt Erik brush past her and followed him. He sat on the bed and started up the musical box that sat beside his bed. Sara knelt beside him, and wrapped her arms around him. He placed a hand on hers, and when she pressed her cheek to his, she could feel his tears.

"Take care of him Sara." Christine whispered, before running down the stairs to Raoul.

Erik stood, and walked to where he could watch Christine and Raoul leave.

Raoul glanced over his shoulder and was shocked to see Sara crossing the room to Erik. She grabbed his arm and turned him to face her, pressing her hand against the scarred side of his face. Erik's eyes fluttered shut and he pressed his hand against hers.

"I love you." She whispered.

More tears slipped out of Erik's eyes, he knew now that he could let himself fall completely in love with the woman in front of him. And for the first time, he confidently pressed his lips to hers. Christine had given him the confidence to do what he had wanted to do for so long.

Erik turned back to the lake and saw Christine smiling at him, and Raoul nod.

Sara jumped at the sound of glass shattering, and looked around confused. She relaxed when his hand enclosed hers and he led her away.

"Where do you think they're going?" Raoul asked Christine as the boat bumped against dry land.

"I don't know, but I hope I will see Sara again." Christine muttered.

Police and cast members swarmed Christine and Raoul. "Where is he?" They all asked at once.

"I don't know, he let us go, and he disappeared."

They turned at the sound of splashing and saw Meg appear. "This was all I could find of him." She said, holding up the white mask. "All the mirrors are shattered, he's gone."

Several officers pushed past her to search the lair more thoroughly, none of them bothered to check behind the large curtain, figuring it was just another mirror.

Outside the Opera house, Erik was helping Sara out of a passageway near the river. He pulled her into the shadows and hugged her tightly, before kissing her again, letting the force of his passion take over for a few moments, before pulling away again.

Sara sighed and rested her head on his chest, "What do we do now?" She asked.

"Simple, we live and be happy." He said, kissing the top of her head before leading her off into the night.


	9. Chapter 09

Five years had passed since the Opera House had caught fire. Christine and Raoul had married not long after and had lived happily in Paris with their son. Christine left the house one fine morning to buy some clothing for her constantly growing child.

She was about to enter a store when a familiar face passed her, on the way out. She stared after the woman, wondering if it could have possibly been who she thought it was. She approached the shopkeeper, and handed him a list of things that she needed to be made.

"Monsieur, that woman with the auburn hair that just left, do you know her?" Christine asked.

"Yes, that is Mme. Revenant. She is our best customer, aside from you countess." The man told her.

"Do you know what her maiden name is? I only ask because she looks like an old friend." Christine insisted.

"I do not know her maiden name, but her first name is Sara, and her husbands name is Erik. Apparently he's some sort of musical genius, but I have never met him myself." Christine fell into a shocked silence. "Countess, are you alright?"

Christine cleared her throat. "Yes, could I trouble you for their address?"

The shopkeeper gave her a strange look before reaching into a drawer and rifling through some papers. He wrote down the address and handed it to Christine, who quickly thanked him and left the store.

She was about to go to the address when she spotted Sara exit another store, and loop her arm through a man's that had just joined her. Christine could see the man's hat was pulled down low, and he kept his head bowed. She began to wonder if perhaps it was all just a coincidence that, maybe, the couple that she was now following happened to look like the one from her teens.

She knew that what she was doing was wrong. She had promised Raoul long ago that if she ever saw Sara or heard from her friend that she would leave things be. Raoul didn't want anymore trouble.

She followed them to a large house and began to doubt that it was really who she thought it was. But too many things were starting to make sense in her mind. After all, Revenant meant Ghost, and they would have been able to afford a large house since Erik had been receiving large sums of money from the past Opera House owners.

She waited to see them enter their household before walking up the long path to the front door. She knocked timidly, wondering what she could say to them. She looked down to smooth out her skirt, when she noticed a small package lying to the side of the door. Seizing the opportunity, she picked it up, and straightened just as the door opened.

"May I help you?" A young maid asked.

Christine nodded to her. "Yes, your mistress dropped this, and I wanted to return it to her." She said, showing her the package. "But I would prefer to give it to her myself."

The maid gave Christine and odd look. "Your name?"

"The Countess D'Chagny. I believe that she and I may know each other." Christine told her.

The maid nodded and stepped back for her to enter. "Wait here, I will get her."

The maid walked off and knocked on a door. "Enter."

The man's voice sent chills through Christine's body. She knew at once who it was. Sara appeared moments later, still using the same cane from their days at the Opera House. "Christine?"

Christine moved forward and embraced her friend. "Sara, you look marvellous!"

Sara pulled away, "Come, sit with me." Christine followed her friend to a sitting room. "It's been what, five years now?"

"Yes, it's been far to long."

Sara motioned to another maid, who curtsied and left the room. "How is Raoul? I have heard that you two are married and have a son."

Christine laughed. "Yes. I suppose marrying someone like Raoul gets you a lot of attention. Any little thing that we do makes the papers it seems."

Sara laughed gently. "Yes, I suppose that is right."

"And what about you?" Christine asked. "I know you are married, any children?"

"No children yet. I've been buying things for Meg; did you know that she has three daughters now?" Sara asked, trying to get away from the topic of her marriage.

"Yes I did know that." Christine said, laughing.

The maid returned with some tea, making the two women fall silent. "Will the master be taking tea with you?"

"Yes." Erik said, appearing in the doorway.

Christine turned and was shocked to see him in the doorway. He was once again wearing the old white mask. And the girl quickly left the room.

"Christine." He said simply, before sitting beside his wife.

"Did you wash off your make up?" Sara asked as he took her hand.

Erik noticed the confused look on Christine's face. "It's easier to go out in public."

"What about your servants?" Christine asked.

"Pay them enough and they will ignore anything." Sara said, sadly.

Erik kissed the side of Sara's head, which made Christine smile. They fell into a comfortable silence, speaking of the weather, Christine's child, and all the polite things that were required of them. When they were finished, Christine stood and allowed them to show her out.

"Please, if you speak to Raoul, don't mention this to him."

Sara and Erik nodded as Christine left the house. "Well that was odd." Sara said, turning to her husband.

Erik laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you." He said, kissing her softly.

Sara sighed. "Are you glad you have me and not Christine?" She teased.

Their laughter floated through the door to Christine, who felt a strange sadness that she was not in Sara's position. She was incredibly happy with Raoul, and when they had first left the Opera House she couldn't have been happier that she had chosen him.

But often she found herself thinking back to the kiss that she had given Erik, and had wondered if she could have been happy. Raoul had convinced her that Erik would have been controlling, but after seeing him with Sara, she saw that he had changed.

She returned home and walked to her room to change. "You were gone for quite a while."

Christine turned to look at Raoul. "Oh, yes I stopped to see Mme. Giry." She said.

Raoul said nothing and turned to leave. Christine was now determined to stay in contact with Sara and Erik, but had to figure out away to do it in secret.

She wrote Sara and the two of them quickly hatched a plan to keep in touch. Christine continued to visit her friend, and write letters keeping Raoul in the dark, knowing that it would upset him. When she was dying, she asked him to try to find the Music Box she had seen in the Phantoms lair, and finally told him that she had been seeing him and Sara for years. When she died, Raoul quickly found the address and wrote them, but received no reply, and didn't see them at the funeral. He found himself believing that perhaps he was the only one left from the incidents at the opera house.


	10. Epilogue

Raoul pushed himself out of his chair and walked unsteadily towards Christine's grave. He carefully laid the music box on a small ledge and lovingly touched his wife's picture. As he turned to leave he noticed a single rose lying beside the gravestone. Attached to it was the ring that Christine had given to Erik so many years before.

He quickly looked over to the spot where he had once fought with the man. Through the mist he could make out two figures. One was heavily stooped and the other was leading the way, leaning heavily on a cane.

As he stared at the two figures the stooped one stopped his companion and turned back. Raoul could not make out the face of the stooped man, but he recognized the woman, much as he had Mme. Giry at the auction. Sara nodded her head in his direction, and after having her hand raised to the lips of her companion, turned and led him away.

The mist seemed to clear in front of them and when the man looked back, Raoul's breath caught when he recognized the white mask covering the right side of the man's face.

"Viscomte?" The nurse asked, stepping to the Raoul's side. "Are you alright sir?"

Raoul nodded, "Yes, everything is fine now." He said, touching the rose and the music box before settling himself back into his chair.


End file.
